Cameroon left Abidjan with a win they badly needed. Facing Ivory Coast on Saturday evening at the Ebimpé stadium, the Indomitable Lions prevailed 1-0 in a friendly that the two teams approached in very different form. The Elephants came in on the back of two 2-0 victories, over Ghana and Somalia. Their visitors had beaten Comoros 3-1 before being held 1-1 by Congo in a display widely seen as disappointing.
The first half saw Cameroon control the ball without managing to turn possession into goals. It was in fact the hosts who created the clearest opening, in the 36th minute, when captain Ibrahim Sangaré’s shot was kept out by Simon Ngapandouetnbu.
Everything changed after the break. Picked out by Arthur Avom, 22-year-old Bil Nsongo slipped the ball through the Ivorian goalkeeper’s legs in the 46th minute. Ivory Coast then pressed for a way back, and Yann Diomandé looked set to equalise in the 76th minute at the end of a fine team move. Once again Ngapandouetnbu turned the effort away.
This is Cameroon’s tenth win over Ivory Coast in the history of the fixture. It drew from David Pagou a line that will resonate with supporters: « The Hemlè never dies. » The coach still has a finishing problem to solve, since his team dominated without ever putting the game to bed.